


false narrative

by horsetrackhiggs



Series: ashedue week 2020 [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ashedue Week (Fire Emblem), Ashedue Week 2020, Cooking, Cooking Lessons, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, and dedue teaches intro cooking classes, ashe is a chef and owns a restaurant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:33:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23570905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/horsetrackhiggs/pseuds/horsetrackhiggs
Summary: So then, why was Ashe spending his free night taking an introductory class about what he does for a living?The short answer was: he’s gay.The long answer was: it was really all Annette’s fault.--day two and three of ashedue week: modern au & cooking
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Dedue Molinaro
Series: ashedue week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1690942
Comments: 4
Kudos: 56





	false narrative

**Author's Note:**

> for ashedue week 2020 day two and three!
> 
> ~~siblings~~ or **modern au**
> 
> **cooking** or ~~fairytale au~~

It was a Tuesday evening and Ashe Ubert was in a beginner cooking class-- that day they were learning to make baked honey garlic salmon. Of course, Ashe knew how to make that; salmon based dishes had always been a staple in his family. His younger sister ate only smoked salmon for a month when she was seven years old, so he got real good at that too.

The truth was that Ashe shouldn’t be in a beginner cooking class-- hell, he shouldn’t be in a cooking class as a student at all. With the help of his adoptive father and siblings, the silver haired man re-opened his belated parents' restaurant once he graduated highschool. It’s been roughly 10 years since they first started serving food again-- it was a small place; almost always a little too warm and the walls cluttered with different pictures of family, regulars and scenic postcards or photography his brother sent back from college across the country over the years. They weren’t overwhelmingly popular or renowned, but they had a constant and steady client base-- and never once had food ever been sent back to the kitchen. Making food to share with others...Ashe knew that’s what the Goddess put him on this Earth to do. 

So then, why was Ashe spending his free night taking an introductory class about what he does for a living?

The short answer was: he’s gay.

The long answer was: it was really all Annette’s fault.

Being the good friend that Ashe is, he eagerly agreed to pick the girl up from the cooking class she had been given a place in as a passive aggressive gift-- otherwise, the silver haired man might have taken a few moments to be upset that she didn’t just ask him for help; but since it was free, he knew Annette couldn’t let it go to waste.

And just like he had expected, she wasn’t waiting outside for him when the class ended. A long time ago, Ashe would have waited patiently in his car for her to eventually throw the passenger side door open and start talking his ear off-- but he's been down this road before. 

Annette was a sweet girl, but she always had far too much to say-- part of her charm, really. He could list the things he adored about her for hours, but he knew he was going to have to walk in himself to drag her out if he ever wanted to get home.

Which is what he did. The class took place in a store he had been at a few times before, so it didn’t take him long to find his way to the back where they had the classroom tucked away. Where, just like he expected, Annette was chatting excitedly with a gentle looking woman who didn’t seem to be entirely listening but was nodding along to each word.

He’s just about to walk over to her when someone clears their throat from behind him, mumbling a sighed ‘excuse me’.

Ashe is frantic as he moves about out the way, ready to spew out far too many jumbled apologizes-- but his voice gets caught in his own throat when his eyes land on the person attempting to squeeze past him.

The man was stunning. Far taller and broader than Ashe was himself-- could you call it a dad bod if you were unsure if someone was a dad? That didn’t matter right now-- what mattered was how this stranger somehow seemed to be made up of hard features yet had the softest eyes Ashe had ever had the chance of meeting with his own. 

He knew he was openly staring at this point, and the larger man definitely noticed-- was it normal for a person to have a sort of angelic glow surround them? It’s almost like Ashe has never seen a person before this moment in his life; he has no idea how to act with all his sweaty palms and freshly wobbly knees.

An expression that can only be described as mild concern washes over the stranger’s face as he rubs his hands together almost nervously, he’s just about to say something to the smaller man when Annette flings herself at him.

“Ashe-- OhmyGoddess, I’ve been keeping you waiting haven’t I?” She’s clinging to his arm as both men turn their attention to her, Ashe having to blink a few times to pull himself back into reality.

“I’m so so sorry-- ugh, I’m always just doing this...but I made a new friend! New friends are good right, Ashe? So I just had to get to know her a bit better-- fuck, I’m being totally rude right now. Ashe, this is the guy who teaches the class-- he’s amazing! Oh, and Dedue, this is my bestest friend ever Ashe!”

Dedue.

Ashe had never heard a name like that before. He liked it.

The teacher carefully stuck his hand out in front of him for Ashe to shake, head tilting as he offered a soft ‘nice to meet you’-- it took the silver haired man a moment to react at all. The sound of Dedue’s voice...oh it just made a warm feeling blossom in Ashe’s chest.

“Oh-- nice to meet you as well!” He takes the other’s hand firmly, unable to shake as he freezes up again.

Dedue’s hands were so large compared to his own-- both were equally calloused, but unlike Ashe’s own, his hands were surprisingly cold. Goddess above, Ashe is begging that the other doesn’t notice how damp his palm was, or how his own hand was trembling slightly in the other’s grip.

The experience probably isn’t as mortifying as he is making it out to be in his head. The man gives both Ashe and Annette a small nod before wishing them a good rest of their day and stepping away to clean up for the day.

In case it wasn’t obvious-- Ashe has been unable to stop thinking about Dedue ever since that small encounter. The man was on his mind in both daydreams and the ones that come at night; he only survived a week before he was booking himself a spot in the class.

It’s been about a month and a half now. Every Tuesday, Ashe would come in to learn some sort of beginner level meal and find a way to mess it up horribly each time so that his cover was not blown.

This time, he made sure the fish was horribly overcooked. So overcooked, in fact, that he had a hard time bringing himself to put it in his mouth-- but he had to try it, to stay committed to his false narrative. 

Ashe always made sure to take a bit longer with cleaning up his station so that he would have a few extra minutes alone with Dedue-- usually, the pair would fumble to make small talk. Asking about how the last week has been, if they were looking forward to anything-- that was until they figured out they both share a love for gardening. Talking about a shared interest was easier than talking about yourself, so they often found themselves on that topic.

But today, Dedue approached Ashe instead of busying himself with his own cleaning. His arms were crossed as he leaned against the counter, staring down at the silver haired boy who tried to fight off the flush creeping up his neck.

“Ashe.” Is all it takes for the smaller man to stop in his place, still too nervous to shift to look at the other.

“You should not be in this class.” Dedue states, tone flat.

Fuck-- where did Ashe go wrong? Was he playing too convincingly into being bad at cooking? Was it creating a real burden on the other? He never did anything dangerous. He was always careful-- maybe Ashe was just that annoying? Between his actual self and the persona he was putting on--

He’s pulled out his thoughts when Dedue sighs heavily.

“Annette informed me.”

This causes Ashe to look up, but not directly at the other-- leaving his gaze to fall just above his shoulder. He’d get too flustered if he did; he had never been good around pretty people, and Dedue was the most handsome person, so Ashe would have been rendered just absolutely useless. 

“Informed you of what, exactly…?” The small man’s voice cracks, and he lets out a nervous laugh to try and cover it up. It doesn’t work very well, he can feel the pit of anxiety forming in his stomach.

“That you own a restaurant.”

“She-- I what? Why would she say that, after all, I can’t--”

“Ashe, please. I am not a fool. I have been aware since that first day.” Dedue sighs again, one hand moving to tug at his dangling earning gently out of nerves.

“Far too many exact details to be a lie. She told me all about her dear friend who is a chef.”

Well, at least it wasn’t because Ashe had done something wrong-- other than lie, of course.

“Oh, Dedue-- I’m sorry...I was not, attempting to deceive-- well, I suppose I was...but I wasn’t-- I didn’t mean any...I just...” He can feel his cheeks heating up as his hands fly around in front of him as he attempts to explain himself.

The pair is silent for a moment, and then Dedue clears his throat.

“You just...what?”

It can’t really get much worse, Ashe supposed.

He hopes his mouth to speak up but nothing comes out, and if Ashe’s heart wasn’t already close to bursting out of his chest, Dedue shifted slightly so he was directly in Ashe’s line of vision; kindness shimmering in the larger man’s eyes.

“You’re beautiful--” Is what Ashe blurts out, the earnest tone catching Dedue off guard enough to cause his lips to part with a small gasp.

“Ah, I’m sorry-- but I’ve always thought so, since that first day. And I just-- just couldn’t get you out of my head, and I figured it would be weird and creepy to look you up on facebook-- but this is weird and creepy too, isn’t it? Dedue, I am so, so sorry for lying and--”

And then Dedue laughs. It’s light and a bit wheezy, corners of his eyes crinkling as he attempts to fight the smile off his face. Ashe starts laughing too; awkward and loud and he can’t get over how good their joy sounds together.

“I thought you were rather adorable yourself when we met. And one could say that I was falling for your charms easily in the following weeks.”

Ashe’s face is a terrible shade of red as he tries to hide behind his own hand.

“What would you say if I were to offer to actually cook you a meal?” His voice is so small, but he already knows the answer.

“I would say that I already think you are a talented and excellent chef.”

Okay, maybe Ashe didn’t know the answer. Before he could question that response, Dedue began to speak again, his own cheeks tinting a bit.

“Your friend...she also told me the name of your restaurant, and after seeing you try so hard to fail at doing so in my kitchen, I went to see what you could really do…”

Ashe would say that he’s rather confident in his culinary skills, but for the first time, he was terrified to hear someone’s opinion of them.

“Did I meet your standards?” He tries to say it with a laugh, but it comes off more stiff than anything.

“You surpassed any I had. One serving of shakshuka and you’ve made a regular out of me. I have...uhm-- I have been returning since. Making my way through the menu, and all.”

A sigh of relief escapes Ashe, and he tosses Dedue a beaming grin. Dedue has a smaller, but no less genuine one making a home on his lips.

“I’m ecstatic to hear-- not to brag, but no one ever leaves dissatisfied!” It was meant as a joke, but Dedue only nods along with a dreamy ‘I bet’.

Ashe is laughing again as Dedue has to compose himself a bit; once the larger man does, the silver haired man makes a bold move and gently places a hand on the other’s arm.

“Y’know, I do know how to make more than is what’s on the menu-- what do you say, then?”

“Only if you allow me to make dessert.”

After that first private night spent together, Ashe no longer has to pretend to be bad at cooking to see Dedue-- these days, Dedue found himself climbing into the passenger seat of Ashe’s shitty car to return to their home with his boyfriend.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry that i am especially behind on this week! school and work suddenly kicked my ass and i have never prepared for anything! 
> 
> i just think they are neat and i wanted to combine these two prompts bc. well makes sense to in my head! i dont have any brain cells
> 
> excited for some good fucking ashedue food this week! hmu on tumblr/twitter @ dumbassology! 
> 
> hope u enjoyed and thanks for reading!!


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